I was back in the woods with my ProSilva Ireland forest family last weekend. With foresters, ecologists, forest owners, tree-harvesters, forestry students and newcomers, we visited the beautiful broadleaf and conifer-mixed Raheen forest near Scariff in Co. Clare (West Ireland). There are remnants of wonderful ancient Sessile Oak woods there (picture above), and they, and…Read more Visiting the Sessile Oaks of Raheen Forest, Tuamgreany, East Clare, West Ireland

Dear Hollywood diary readers and the increasing number of visitors to Hollywood, Many thanks for your comments, interest and support for the Hollywood project over the year. They have meant such a lot for this long, meandering artful-forest work. Here's wishing you all a very merry Christmas from us all at Hollywood! PS - If…Read more The Holly and the Ivy from Hollywood

Eco artist Cathy Fitzgerald held a space for conversation about transforming a conifer plantation into a permanent, continuous cover forest during the 1st Blackstairs Rural Film Festival. See the photos here.

In recent weeks Ireland has lost millions of trees to Storm Darwin, 12 Feb 2014. Here Cathy Fitzgerald talks about the beginnings of Hollywood, the smallest Close-to-Nature continuous cover forest in Ireland and the nearby forest plantings it has inspired

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I explore new ideas and practices for eco-social well being by bringing art and non-art practices together in my creative practice. I also offer Ecoliteracy learning for the arts at www.haumea.site
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Through my practice and an art practice-theory PhD "The Ecological Turn", I have developed a guiding theory-method framework to articulate the context and workings of long-term eco-social art practices. These vital practices activate ecoliteracy and agency for environmental change in communities. Much of my PhD drew on my experiences and challenges, and the review of others' pioneering creative practices' that are responding to ecological concerns. My own transversal practice reflects on the transformation of the small conifer plantation that I live with, Hollywood forest, toward new-to-Ireland, Close-to-Nature forestry. I bring previous experience in biological science research and interests in environmental philosophy, policy development and ecocide-Rights of Nature law developments into the mix.
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Somehow an eco-social art practice allows me to connect and move across these various strands of interest to create a new agency for myself and the human and non-human neighbours I depend on and live with.
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Hollywood forest is the smallest Close-to-Nature forest in Ireland; its growing happily near Mt Leinster and the Blackstairs mountains in South East Ireland.